www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Prayer Death of Nelson Mandela

Mr Salmond said: "With the passing of Nelson Mandela, the world has lost a towering statesman and the outstanding political leader of his generation.

"Mr Mandela's integrity, humanity and compassion were an inspiration to countless millions around the globe, and his influence transcended ideology, race and creed."

He added: "The world is a poorer place for his passing, and our thoughts are with Mr Mandela's family and the people of South Africa."

Quote from: Dave Likeness on Today at 10:16:09 AM

Nelson Mandela was in prison for 27 years
and yet he was able to forgive those who
imprisoned him. How many of us would
have been forgiving if we had been in
prison for almost 3 decades?

Comment by George Erdner:

I notice that no one in this forum, or anywhere else, is mentioning that before he was sent to prison, he joined an activist revolutionary movement that used violence and terrorism as tools to achieve their goals. Though he started out following the non-violent path of Ghandi, that didn't last long.


In prison, he apparently came to repent of his support of violence. I would no more condemn Mandela for his violent past prior to seeing the light than I would condemn the Apostle Paul for his actions prior to Christ calling him. By the same token, I don't ignore Paul's past, nor pretend it didn't exist. It appears that in the case of Nelson Mandela, any reference to his positions and actions prior to being imprisoned are strictly forbidden.


Personally, I'm more impressed by a violent man who learns to leave violence behind than with a mythical figure who never did anything negative.